One Direction, majorly known as 1D, was an English-Irish pop boy band. They were formed in London, England in August 2010. After finishing third in the seventh series of the British televised singing competition The X Factor that year, they were signed with Simon Cowell’s record label Syco Records. The boy band included Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson. Later in March 2015, Zayn Malik left the band and by the middle of 2016, One Direction declared an indefinite hiatus.
So far, they have produced five albums namely Up All Night in 2011, Take Me Home in 2012, Midnight Memories in 2013, Four in 2014, and Made in the A.M. in 2015. Zayn Malik was not a part of the latest album. Over the years in which the band was together, they bagged a number of awards and the fanbase is still huge to date. Known as one of the biggest boy bands even today, they have topped charts in several countries.
Why Did Zayn Malik Leave One Direction?
After having four successful albums and popularity like no other boy band, One Direction saw a bad time when Zayn Malik decided to leave the band. One Direction’s Facebook page penned an official post on March 25, 2015, announcing the retirement of Zayn Malik from the band. He was one of the lead vocals of One Direction. When asked about the reason behind his decision, he said that the stress was just too much to handle. As a result, he did not get any personal space for himself. He also admitted that he wanted to enjoy his life like a normal 22-year-old, away from the spotlight.
Around that time he started dating model Gigi Hadid. The couple was soon the talk of social media with their public appearances. Zayn Malik also began his solo career and started working on his singles. His first solo song, ‘Pillowtalk’ was an instant hit. The official music video starred Zayn Malik and Gigi Hadid. The video also saw an amazing reception. His albums include Mind Of Mine in 2016, Icarus Falls in 2018, and Nobody Is Listening in 2021.
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Is One Direction Still Together?
Right after Zayn Malik left, One Direction announced that it will continue as a four-membered boy band. Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson were to continue being in the band. The remaining four members released the album Made In The A.M. on 13th November 2015. Soon after, in January 2016, the band announced to go on an indefinite hiatus.
Some reports said that the hiatus might last for just 18 months. But even after that time period, the band did not get back together. By the year 2017, all the members had released their singles. As of now, all of them are now focusing on their solo careers. However, they still haven’t had an official split. The band members meet up and are in contact through and through.
Since the hiatus, Niall has released two albums, Flicker and Heartbreak Weather in 2017 and 2020 respectively. Whereas Liam released his debut album, LP1 in 2019. Louis released his first album called Walls in 2020. On the other hand, Harry Styles has produced his debut album based on his own name in 2017. Styles also released his second album Fine Line in 2019.
Awards And Recognition
As of 2020, the band has sold 70 million records across the globe. This has made them one of the best-selling boy bands of all time. The boy band first rose to fame when they released their infamous debut single “What Makes You Beautiful”. This song broke all sorts of records. Other groundbreaking songs included “Live While We’re Young”, “Story of My Life”, “Best Song Ever” and “Drag Me Down”.
After releasing their fourth album FOUR, One Direction became the first ever band to have their first four albums debut at number one in the history of US Billboard 200. The band has received seven American Music Awards, seven Brit Awards, five Billboard Touring Awards, six Billboard Music Awards, and four MTV Video Music Awards. One Direction has gained a huge fan base that is still loyal to the band even after the hiatus.
On their 10th anniversary, One Direction gave a “reunion gift” to their fans by launching a website. The website recalls the full journey of the band with soothing animation. The background songs give a whole nostalgic effect. Fans can also get a personalized mixtape after logging in with their Spotify or Apple Music accounts.
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